ISTANBUL
At least 2,500 activists from all over the world have pledged support for Egypt’s first elected President Mohamed Morsi online through an Istanbul-based website “Freemorsi.org”.
The activists have started a campaign to support Morsi and 105 co-defendants accused of taking part in the mass jailbreak during Egypt's 2011 uprising. An Egyptian court recently awarded Morsi the death penalty for the alleged offenses.
The online support platform launched Sunday plans to collect signatures to draw attention to Morsi’s trial, which is due on June 16.
"Ghandi, Martin Luther King or Mandela; they all fought for freedom, justice and humanity. Morsi did so, too. He was against violence and militancy… A military dictator imprisoned Morsi and his friends. Death sentences were ruled. A humiliating blow to all who believe in democracy,” an official statement on the website said.
“Morsi and his friends are striving to uphold the dignity of humanity, of all of us. Let the voice of those who believe in freedom, justice and democracy be heard. The Egyptian people's elected president, Morsi and his friends should be released,” it added.
Morsi was ousted by the military in a coup in July 2013 -- only one year after assuming office in the country’s first free and democratic elections.
The military's actions came hours after mass protests against Morsi's rule.
Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, a former army chief, was elected president last year, almost one year after he led a coup against Morsi.
Since Morsi’s ouster in 2013, Egyptian authorities have waged a relentless crackdown on dissent that has largely targeted the former president’s supporters, leaving hundreds dead and thousands behind bars.
